BHAGAVAD-GITA 9:29

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 9:29

 

samo ham sarva-bhutesu

na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah

ye bhajanti tu mam bhakt ya

mayi te tesu capy aham

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

samah--equally disposed; aham--I; sarva-bhutesu--to all living

entities; na--no one; me--to Me; dvesyah--hateful; asti--is; na--nor;

priyah--dear; ye--those who; bhajanti--render transcendental service;

tu--but; mam--unto Me; bhaktya--in devotion; mayi--are in Me; te--such

persons; tesu--in them; ca--also; api--certainly; aham--I.

 

TRANSLATION

 

I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But

whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and

I am also a friend to him.

 

PURPORT

 

One may question here that if Krsna is equal to everyone and no one is

His special friend, then why does He take a special interest in the

devotees who are always engaged in His transcendental service? But

this is not discrimination; it is natural. Any man in this material

world may be very charitably disposed, yet he has a special interest

in his own children. The Lord claims that every living entity--in

whatever form--is His son, and so He provides everyone with a generous

supply of the necessities of life. He is just like a cloud which pours

rain all over, regardless of whether it falls on rock or land or

water. But for His devotees, He gives specific attention. Such

devotees are mentioned here: they are always in Krsna consciousness,

and therefore they are always transcendentally situated in Krsna. The

very phrase "Krsna consciousness" suggests that those who are in such

consciousness are living transcendentalists, situated in Him. The Lord

says here distinctly, mayi te: "They are in Me." Naturally, as a

result, the Lord is also in them. This is reciprocal. This also

explains the words ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy

aham: "Whoever surrenders unto Me, proportionately I take care of

him." This transcendental reciprocation exists because both the Lord

and the devotee are conscious. When a diamond is set in a golden ring,

it looks very nice. The gold is glorified, and at the same time the

diamond is glorified. The Lord and the living entity eternally

glitter, and when a living entity becomes inclined to the service of

the Supreme Lord he looks like gold. The Lord is a diamond, and so

this combination is very nice. Living entities in a pure state are

called devotees. The Supreme Lord becomes the devotee of His devotees.

If a reciprocal relationship is not present between the devotee and

the Lord, then there is no personalist philosophy. In the impersonal

philosophy there is no reciprocation between the Supreme and the

living entity, but in the personalist philosophy there is.

 

The example is often given that the Lord is like a desire tree, and

whatever one wants from this desire tree, the Lord supplies. But here

the explanation is more complete. The Lord is here stated to be

partial to the devotees. This is the manifestation of the Lord's

special mercy to the devotees. The Lord's reciprocation should not be

considered to be under the law of karma. It belongs to the

transcendental situation in which the Lord and His devotees function.

Devotional service to the Lord is not an activity of this material

world; it is part of the spiritual world, where eternity, bliss and

knowledge predominate.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.